Rand Turki

Why did you choose to study at London Met?

In my final year of A levels I decided that I wanted to stay in London and London Met was one of the few universities that did a course combing chemistry and biology. I wanted to find out more, so I came for an open day and was amazed by what was there on offer. It's a big multicultural university that had students from all backgrounds, but it still felt like a close community. I was impressed the most by the lab and the library.

What are the facilities like here?

One of my favourite things about London Met is the Superlab, I have never been to another lab this huge! It meant that everyone from a science degree was in the same space doing all sorts of research, which I found very fascinating. I only got to fully appreciate it during my final year while I was doing my project.

Another facility is the huge library. Other than the enormous section of science books, the library had numerous spaces for different types of studying. This ranged from a quiet section to group working sections so there is always a place to study. As it was such a big library, I got to meet many people from many different courses, so there is always interaction. I also liked how there are numerous places to eat and drink within the University, which made stressful exam periods much easier!

London Met also has The Rocket which is great for hanging out with friends and the gym for stress release after a long day!

Do you get to do much practical work or an industry placement on the course?

The amount of practical work and experience gained from my course has been invaluable to my career and also helped me see how much I love working in a lab! Right from the first year of the course, we did a very large range of practical sessions related to chemistry and biology, which gave me an indication of what areas I liked. Doing a wide range of experiments gave the opportunity to try a lot of things and it also helped when choosing the optional modules after each year. Second-year practicals were much more in-depth and helped me choose what I wanted to do in my final year, which in turn shaped my future for me, as I liked it so much! In general, the vast amount of practical work done during my three years has given me a lot of experience in the lab.

What did you like best about your course?

I definitely enjoyed the practical side of it! My favourite period was during my final-year project as it meant I got to work independently whilst still having full support from my supervisor. I liked the area of research so much that I decided to continue doing research doing that area after finishing my course.

Another thing that I liked is how friendly and helpful staff members are and the extent they go to help a student out. I felt very comfortable in knowing that if I needed any help I could find it.

Even though there were a lot of students in lectures that were shared with different courses, it meant I could experience university life to the fullest and I also got to make great friends who weren't on my course!

Were you in any clubs/societies here?

During my degree I made sure to get involved in university life – so I became a student academic representative. I was responsible for listening to students’ issues and getting their voices heard by attending meetings which taught me how to deal with issues and how to confidently speak out to present ideas to others. I also represent London Met as a student ambassador at various events such as open days and campus tours where I share my university life with young people and prospective students. Given these opportunities I have been able to learn how to be more responsible, develop my organisational and communication skills – and most importantly, balance out my studies and work.

I was also a member of the gym where I regularly played table tennis!

What do you like about life in London?

I have been in London for about eight years now and I definitely do not want to move away! It is such a great multicultural city that has a lot to offer. There is also something to do and pretty much anything can reached using public transport!

What are your career plans?

After completing my degree, I was accepted into University College London (UCL) to do a master's degree in Drug Discovery and Development, which I will be finishing this September! Without my Pharmaceutical Science degree and all the experiences I have gained at London Met, I wouldn't have been able to do the degree. I am currently doing my research project and I am hoping either to do further research through a PhD or to work in drug analysis.